Votes at a glance: House adopts bills on liquor code, tax tribunal, open meetings and memorial resolution

The Michigan House of Representatives adopted a series of measures during the session, including a memorial resolution honoring former Representative Robert G. (Bob) Bender and several bills that cleared the chamber on recorded roll-call votes.

House Resolution 44, a memorial for former Representative Robert G. Bender, was offered and adopted by voice vote; the text memorialized Bender’s public service and directed copies of the resolution be transmitted to his family.

Key final passage roll-call results announced on the floor: House Bill 4065, amending the Michigan Liquor Control Code of 1998 (introduced by Representative Aragona), passed 101-7; House Bill 4014, amending the General Property Tax Act (introduced by Representative Slaw), passed 97-11; House Bill 4098, amending the Tax Tribunal Act to authorize electronic hearings for the full tribunal (introduced by Representative Outman and described on the floor by Representative Outman), passed 100-8; and House Bill 4099, amending the Open Meetings Act (introduced by Representative Frisbie), passed 98-10. Each of these measures was placed on immediate passage after being taken up on third reading.

Several other bills were taken up and advanced to third reading earlier in the session (for example, a cluster of transportation and tax-related bills were reported out of committee and advanced); those items were either advanced for later action or returned to the floor calendar depending on committee recommendations. Where floor debate occurred it was brief and procedural for most bills; the bill that drew extended debate was House Bill 4170 (income tax amendment), which is covered in a separate article.

The clerk’s reading of bills and committee recommendations is part of the official record; recorded roll-call tallies were announced aloud by the clerk after the board was closed and tallied for each item listed above.